Photo 2 Stock No. 628-0006
Project
Waipahu Yard
Unfortunately, I located a Llagas Creek nickel silver (1:20.3 ties) Code 215 #6 turnout "hiding" behind a scratch-built wooden engine house on my Fn3 layout. My turnout was not operating properly and I had already laid it down on a 3 inch pink foam bas atop luan board. The problem is the turnout throw-bar is not being thrown sufficiently and so locomotives derail when going through my turnout. Martine Brechbiel came over my home to help me diagnose the problem - another good reason to belong to the NMRA - there are folks available to help you with problems - even if they cannot fix the problem, they can help you diagnose your problem. Even having another person confirm your own diagnosis of a problem is a blessing.
Martin and I concluded that my problem was not the clearance hole - after we expanded same to be sure.
My guess is my vertical rod (Rix calls it the "throw rod") is too long to properly throw these Llagas Creek points. To get a shorter vertical rod means cutting away the pink foam beneath the turnout throw.
My horizontal control pushrod (Rix Products calls this the "choke rod") also needs to be closer to the layout surface; to do that required an opening for the horizontal control pushrod/choke rod.
I purchased these two accessories for $20 at Home Depot (pictured is a 12" Impact Magnetic Bit Holder by Milwaukee 48-32-4512 and a Diablo 7/8" Dia. Spade Bit Item DSP3050.
My first step was to insert my Diablo spade bit into my Milwaukee bit holder - this went smoothly. I then proceeded to drill a horizontal hole in my pink foam roadbed. I would pull out my bit regularly to get the foam chips out of my way. I also had a light shop vac to clean up the mess on my floor as well as chips inside my new horizontal hole. My horizontal pushrod/choke rod will travel inside the horizontal hole thus drilled.
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